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Monday, March 2, 2015

2015: The year is moving forward!!

I realized it was time for a bit of pondering and meandering here. I haven't written since the end of last year, and much has transpired.

Wonderful opening of the year for me, after returning from an equally lovely 2 months in Europe.

I am working on a new project that involves the story of my family and the journey in finding my roots... it's been wild really, and so intriguing to me, that I sometimes get lost in all the details.

I recently returned from Montana, and found some new information regarding my Danish roots, on both sides, the Lodahls and the Jorgensens.

Between photographs, great great grandparents' writing, my own stories heard as a child, I am weaving (however haphazardly) a few things together to begin this work; work that feels like it could last me the rest of my life. And for me, that's just fine. I feel centered and grounded knowing the direction my work is to go, knowing how the creative process is: It takes you in directions you can't even imagine.

I was offered a residency in the old hometown of where my ancestors came from, the western area of Jylland. And I will be returning to Denmark in May, this year. Of course, this presented a new challenge, but a welcome one, and I am excited to be working towards a presentation of some of this work I've been researching.

I think that's a piece missing in most people's mind, as to what do artists do all day? At least for me, I do a lot of reference work. It's like writing a book really. And this time, it's a bit more focused and researched. For me, painting, drawing, writing, require more than just doodling (and i doodle too), but inspiration comes and then so does the background work.

Regardless of the end result, this process is what drives me to continue. Even when sometimes it feels like nothing is coming from it, the process is: keep at it. I do trust that. Maybe the work won't show the hours of time spent reading/listening/writing or sketching, but it all has to be done, at least for me.

So March is a busy time, now putting in some real studio time, preparing more for May and moving into the next phase of this project. My head seems to always have this project in focus, and sometimes I need an outlet to let it go a bit.

As I reflect back on this past 9 months (almost a year in June, wow) outside of a day job, I'm more convinced, this was exactly the right timing for me.

I will post some snippets of sketches on the facebook page Robbin Milne's Art Page as I go, but mainly this project is in process. Check in with me, it would be nice to hear from you!